Read reviewsThe HVAC professionals at Richmond’s Air explain why a properly sized central air unit is so important to your home
When it comes to replacing your beloved air conditioner, let us go ahead and tell you that the size of the unit you have now is probably not what you’re going to need this next time around. Climate control in the home has come a long way in the last fifteen years: air conditioners are more efficient at doing their job and homes have become more tightly sealed and better insulated as people look for ways to reduce their energy costs.
If you want to know what size air conditioner you’ll need for your house, the best thing to do is to call an experienced HVAC contractor who is qualified to assess your home with calculations based on the industry standard’s ACCA Manual J calculation.
Never trust an HVAC contractor who doesn’t ask questions about your home or perform calculations when determining the size of your next A/C system.
There are two types of Manual J assessment an HVAC contractor may use on your home:
A Base Load Calculation: This assessment takes many factors into account to determine the overall cooling load of your home. An HVAC contractor will use a base load calculation if he or she is confident with the integrity and functionality of your home’s duct system. (Learn more about why duct systems are so important)
A base load considers:
- The square footage of your home
- The height of your ceilings
- The type of foundation you have
- The energy efficiency of your home’s windows and insulation, as well as the number of windows and their location
- The geographical region where you live (Houston homes have a higher cooling load than other parts of the country).
A Room-By-Room Assessment: When your home needs new ductwork, or if it has very specific cooling needs, your HVAC contractor may perform a room-by-room load calculation. A room-by-room assessment considered all of the factors of the base calculation, but performs these calculations for each room. A room’s size and these other factors are all assessed individually and then added together with the other rooms of the home to determine the overall cooling load.
Determining the size of your next air conditioner is very important; an improperly sized machine can cause serious comfort and energy issues for years to come.
For instance:
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- An A/C unit that’s too small will not be able to reach the desired temperature effectively, causing it to run more than it should. This will end up costing you more money in the long run and potentially wearing out the unit faster.
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- An air conditioner that’s too large will hit the set temperature point so quickly that it hasn’t run long enough to dehumidify the air, which means the air will feel sticky. You’ll have to lower the temperature just to try to get rid of some of the excess humidity. An oversized unit will also cost you more money to run compared to a properly sized one and is more expensive upfront.
To ensure that you get the right sized air conditioner for your home, working with a professional air conditioning contractor is the best thing that you can do.
At Richmond’s Air, we pride ourselves on our high levels of professionalism and service. If you live in the Houston area and are looking for an air conditioning company you can trust, contact Richmond’s today.
